Road work near Buckeye Transfer set at up to $760K

April 19, 2013

Trustee Barry Miner read two estimates regarding improvements to the state Route 344 and Esterly Drive intersection at the Buckeye Transfer facility during Thursday's meeting.

A cement stabilization project with a 120-foot concrete apron has a $466,682 estimate while an asphalt upgrade has a $760,784 price tag which Miner said will be forwarded to Ohio Department of Jobs and Commerce and OMEGA (Ohio Mid-Eastern Government Association) along with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Funding could be available from Jobs and Commerce and OMEGA.

Township officials have grown increasingly concerned about road safety and wear with the increased heavy truck traffic as the Buckeye Transfer grows, and have moved to get ahead of expected problems.

The company is developing the former National Refractories site into an oil and gas service center which is currently distributing frack sand with plans to build a truck to rail oil and gas transfer point, install a brine water recycling system and add a pipe storage area.

The primary access to the facility is from state Route 344, a two-lane, east west route, onto Esterly Drive.

Earlier in the month, Miner was appointed as the trustee's liaison with the company.

Miner said Thursday that ODOT completed a traffic count on 344 and he is waiting for Columbiana County to complete a traffic count on Esterly Drive so he can sign off on a permit for ODOT District 11 to take further action.

Trustees voted 3-0 to authorize Miner to sign the M505 form that effected ODOT's action and will assist in obtaining the outside funding.

"We have estimates," Miner said, "and a state traffic count ..." while explaining the county engineer's specifications on the turn radius and other details are also required.

Trustees approved submitting a letter to the county engineer to have that study done.

Trustee Chairman Bob Hum wondered about the number of trucks that will eventually be in and out of the site.

Fracking sand alone is projected to move through the facility at 25,000 tons a month which equates to 1,000 semi's monthly, Miner explained, while noting he hasn't seen estimates regarding water recycling.

"Maybe we're going to need a traffic light," Hum said.

Last month, Hum called the development a "massive" project while noting the "big question is that intersection."

In other business, trustees approved two purchase orders totaling $75,000 for road work after Road Supervisor Melvin Miller recommended obtaining 2,500 tons of 6M slag for the chip and seal program at $57,000 (not to exceed $60,000) from R&J and $15,000 of hot mix from Tri-County Asphalt.

Trustees also approved a resolution for Miller to purchase 300 tons of road salt for next winter and $80 for the four road department employees to attend first aid and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training in Unity Township.

Miller also provided a number of right of way requests for trustees to review regarding water line crossings for the city of Columbiana's water treatment plant and gas lines at hickory Bend and across state Route 7.

Trustees learned there were no complaints by adjacent property owners on a request by a resident to build a 160-foot tall, line-of-sight tower would help fill in areas where Internet service not available.

During the last meeting, Zoning Officer Kymberly Seabolt said the tower did not meet the zoning code which has a 35-foot high restriction, but has approved 150-foot cell phone towers with conditions.

Seabolt said notices were sent to neighboring property owners and Hum said they haven't had any complaints.

The tower will have a small base with guy wires extending out 140 feet.